In South Africa today, the numbers of drug-dependent adolescents are increasing at alarming rates. These adolescents require rehabilitation. The numbers of institutions that offer drug rehabilitation services are also growing exponentially. However, the programs followed by the institutions are wide ranging in nature and are not controlled by government or a professional body. Although these institutions claim individual successes, their success rates – especially in regard of adolescents – is highly subjective and suspect. The discipline of educational psychology is uniquely capable of setting objective criteria to which all programs for drug-dependent adolescents should comply. Educational psychology emphasizes two important aspects of human development: The educational and the psychological. Moreover, it gives considerable weight to the adolescent’s participation in her own development. The uncontrolled use of dependence-forming substances by adolescents negatively influences every level of their physical, emotional, cognitive, psychological and social development. To facilitate their growth to responsible adulthood, specialized treatment is required to address specific adolescent developmental tasks and needs. It has become imperative that the programs offered to adolescents in South Africa be analysed and examined critically in order to determine whether they comply with the dictates of a responsible educational-psychological approach. It is against this background that a research study was undertaken to investigate the current position of drug rehabilitation programs for adolescents offered by centres and clinics in South Africa. The aim of this study was to determine and describe educational-psychological criteria to evaluate the suitability of current programs that are offered to drug dependent adolescents in this country. A theoretical framework was developed by an extensive literary research. This framework formed the foundation of an empirical study. The initial stage of the empirical study – the identification of drug rehabilitation centres and clinics that offer in-patient treatment for adolescents – was hampered by the lack of government involvement in the registration and monitoring of such centres and clinics and the programs they offer. No database containing information on drug use, drug misuse and drug dependence, as well as places and methods of rehabilitation, exists. Identified institutions were contacted and requested to participate in this research. Several refused. The centres and clinics that were willing to assist and offered unique programs, were visited. In several instances one centre was visited and described as representative of several centres or clinics that offer programs based on a similar approach. Documentation regarding drug rehabilitation programs were perused. Interviews with adolescents – whose parents had given permission for their participation – and with available parents and staff were recorded and transcribed. The transcriptions were qualitatively analysed. Educational-psychological criteria that address the specific development needs of adolescents were identified. This research found that although some programs address some minor educationalpsychological aspects of the adolescent’s substance problem, not one of the in-patient programs addressed the problem holistically by emphasizing the development and needs of these adolescents. The effect of these programs on the educationalpsychological development of adolescents moving towards responsible adulthood, must be questioned. The educational-psychological criteria – as set out in this research study – should be applied to in-patient drug rehabilitation programs for adolescents in South Africa to increase the quality and success of the said programs. Through such an approach, adolescents are valued as individuals who have to complete general developmental tasks successfully to arrive at a responsible and meaningful adulthood. / Prof. J.C. Kok